Notes on 2014 access law
As of January 1, 2014 Oregon opened its adoption files to adoptees and birthparents. Enacted in the spirit of Bastard Nation and Helen Hill’s Ballot Measure 58, the SB623 bill expanded the right of all Oregon adoptees to acquire, upon request, the contents of their adoption file-– a right that no other state (so far!) recognizes. In other words, Oregon has swept away statutory adoption secrecy by opening the files and trusting the parties involved to leave their axes at home.
Adoptees:
- the age of OBC access will be lowered from 21 to 18.
- the entire adoption file, except for the Home Study, will be made available to the adoptee upon request at the age of 18 without a court order.
- the Home Study may be released by court order for “good cause.”
Birthparents:
- original parties to the adoption may view and copy documents in the court adoption file to which they were signatories. Under the old law birthparents had to petition the courts to gain access to documents they were required to sign, and were often are rejected by courts under the onerous and undefined “good cause” doctrine. The new law would provide these documents upon request.
